Step One in the Cooking Week Frenzy is accomplished. I made a double
batch of fudge and my hard candy. I found glass containers with dome
lids that have removable plastic liners at Tall Mouse (think
"Michaels"). Also found a string of pretty, colored jingle bells, 3 of
which fit perfectly in each dome lid. Made my batch of stained glass
candy and filled the glass containers. Amazingly, the division of
candy between the five containers was perfect. Red food coloring for
the cinnamon candy and green for the peppermint. Wowser! Turned out
very pretty, if I do say so myself.

Tomorrow: let the cookie baking begin!! (This taking December off work
idea was *brilliant*!)

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Chocolate Velvet Fudge

desserts

3 squares unsweetened chocolate; cut into pieces
1 cup milk
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine chocolate and milk in 3-quart heavy saucepan. Cook over low
heat, stirring constantly until milk is scalded and chocolate is
melted. Stir in sugar, corn syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat,
stirring until sugar dissolves. If sugar crystals form on sides of
pan, wipe them off. Cook without stirring until mixture reches the
soft ball stage (236 to 238 degrees). Remove from heat; add butter
without stirring. Let stand without disturbing until mixture cools to
lukewarm (110 degrees). Add vanilla. Beat until candy loses its gloss
and starts to thicken. Stir in nuts and pour quickly into a lightly
buttered 8' square pan. (Do not scrape pan.) Mark in 36 pieces while
still warm; when cold and firm, cut. Makes about 1 1/2 pounds.

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Stained Glass Candy

desserts

4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
1 teaspoon flavoring oil or 1 tablespoon flavo
food color, as desired

Line a 15 x 11-inch baking pan with foil and lightly grease or
sprinkle evenly with a light coating of powdered sugar. Set aside.

Butter sides of a medium pot. Combine sugar and corn syrup with water
and cook over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. Increase heat and
bring to a boil. Boil rapidly until candy thermometer registers 300*F
(150° C), hard-crack stage.

Immediately remove from heat and stir in flavor extract or oil and
food color.

Pour into prepared pan. Let cool completely.

When hard, remove from pan. Break into pieces with kitchen mallet.

Note: For multiple flavors and colors, divide candy mixture after
cooking; flavor and color each as desired.

Yield: 2 1/2 pounds candy.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

"Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote
>
<big snip>
>
> Tomorrow: let the cookie baking begin!! (This taking December off work
> idea was *brilliant*!)
>
<big snip>

Well done Terry! It all sounds wonderful. Good luck with the cookies too.
Taking December off, eh? That is an excellent idea! It certainly should help
with the stress that builds up this time of the year.

Best with a hug,
Charlie